02 August 2007

Sorry I'm late with this! My parents and sister were visiting this week. They like to hit as many cool restaurants as they can for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so who am I to refuse a chance NOT to have to cook? [grin]

They say that when you're little, you think your parents are cool and they know everything. Then by the time you reach age 21 or so, you parents are dorks and haven't got a clue. But when you hit your 40s? Gosh, Mom and Dad weren't so dumb after all - in fact they're darn near geniuses.

So, since I've just waved goodbye to them this morning as they head back to God's Country (aka North Carolina), I present to you 13 reasons why my parents rock.

1. They got married young (17 for my Mom, 22 for my Dad), never got a formal college degree, but somehow managed to raise and college-educate two daughters.

2. Both are avid learners and natural teachers. Mom can teach a tree stump how to sew (okay, so that means I must be dumber than a stump, right Mom?) and Dad taught himself enough about computers so that when NCR made the switch from mechanical to electronic machines, he was ready.

3. When I developed rheumatoid arthritis at age 5, they broke their necks seeking out the best possible medical care for me, even if that meant driving hours one way to get to a specialist.

4. Despite my illness, they never told me I couldn't achieve anything I set my mind to. (It must have been tough on them to see me suffer through marching band, but they let me do it because it meant so much to me.)

5. When I've had major surgeries, Mom left her beloved, sunny home in NC to spend 2 months at a time in cloudy, gloomy Cleveland to take care of me and my family.

6. If you show anything made of fabric to my Mom, she can or will learn how to sew it. Beautifully.

7. Like me, Dad is one of those people who sometimes hopscotch from one hobby to another, leaving a trail of unfinished projects in his wake. But the wall clock that was one of the projects he finished during his "clock era" is one of my most precious treasures. Though half the time I forget to wind it. (Sorry, Dad!)

8. Mom, I finally understand the value of keeping a (relatively) clean home, extra sets of clean sheets and pillows in the closets, and a fresh pitcher of sweet tea in the icebox. It keeps you ready to welcome visitors at all times.

9. They taught me the value of treating anyone and everyone I meet with respect - you never know how even a chance, one-time encounter might affect someone's life.

10. Now that I'm a Mom, I understand where those worry lines and grey hairs come from. And why each one is beautiful.

11. Watching my Dad now, I understand where my will to keep chugging along comes from, even when our health isn't all that good.